In a shocking incident in Paisley, Renfrewshire last year, a man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to murder a police officer with a chain saw. Liridon Kastrati, a 32-year-old Albanian national, was convicted of brandishing the power tool at officers on 6 May 2024, after initially denying a charge of attempting to murder four police officers.
The court heard that the incident began when Kastrati’s Volkswagen crashed into a police car, with the officers, including PC Gary Cowan, 35, approaching the scene to arrest him. However, Kastrati then returned to his vehicle, retrieved a chain saw, and proceeded to chase Cowan down the street, shouting obscenities and wielding the deadly weapon.
Cowan, who was “terrified” that Kastrati would “saw my arms off, chop my head off,” managed to escape, with the assistance of his colleague and a brave member of the public. The judge, William Gallacher, described Kastrati’s behaviour as “seriously alarming” and stated that the “potential could have been far worse” had Cowan not been able to run fast enough or had he stumbled and fallen.
In sentencing, Judge Gallacher said, “Your behaviour caused significant harm but the potential could have been far worse. If PC Cowan had not been able to run fast enough or if he had stumbled and fell, the scene could have been one of carnage.”
Kastrati, who was remanded in custody for 18 months since the incident, was unrepentant, using expletives and calling the judge and Scotland “terrorist” when the sentence was passed. He was then led away by guards as he continued to shout in Albanian and English.
The incident has been described as “extremely traumatic” for the officers involved, with Chief Superintendent Rhona Fraser of Police Scotland acknowledging the “courage shown by our officers” and stating that “every officer has the fundamental right to come home from each shift unharmed.”
Kastrati was earlier acquitted of charges of breach of the peace, stealing a car, and driving offences, but the 10-year sentence for the attempted murder of PC Cowan has been widely welcomed as a strong message against such violent attacks on the police.
